CORPUS CHRISTI, TX. — After a 44 years — 42 of those in the Coastal Bend — award-winning KRIS 6 Chief Meteorologist Dale Nelson will retire at the end of the year.
"The Coastal Bend is such a great place to live and I won't be leaving right away — maybe ever," Nelson said. "I've got some unfinished things I want to accomplish outside of broadcast meteorology."
A Dayton, Ohio native, Nelson is arguably the biggest Ohio State Buckeyes fan in the Coastal Bend. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in Houston in 1979, he went back to Ohio to start his career as a backup meteorologist for WCMH in Columbus. He later moved to Sioux City, Iowa to work for KTIV.
It wasn't long before he came back to Texas. He started at KRIS in 1981 and never left, making his permanent home just over the bridge in Portland.
"I cannot thank Dale enough for his commitment to KRIS and the people of South Texas," said KRIS Communications Vice President and General Manager Ramon Pineda. "After four decades of service, he's more than earned this retirement. He will be sorely missed, and I could not be more happy for him."
Nelson approached the station about retiring earlier this year but was adamant that he would not leave until after hurricane season. He was intent on putting his community before himself.
"Congratulations, Dale, on 42 years of service to our community," said John Metz, the Meteorologist in Charge for the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi. "You have been a reliable source for weather forecasts and a great partner to the National Weather Service in relaying warnings to help save lives. You will be missed!"
Nelson has covered a handful of hurricanes, including Harvey in 2017, but it's the Christmas Eve snow in 2004 he says is the most extraordinary weather event he's lived through.
"It started snowing during evening mass, which I was not attending because I was giving updates on the air," Nelson recalls. "My wife was at mass and it was interrupted when people noticed it was snowing. And it didn't quit until Christmas morning. I don't think there was anybody who knew about the snow who went to sleep that night."
Nelson's achievements and awards are many, including the Associated Press Best Weathercast and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times "Best of the Best" award so many times he's lost count. But when you ask people in Portland what he's best known for, it's the fact that his is the house house that gives out full-size candy bars every Halloween.
Over four decades, Nelson has volunteered to speak with countless civic groups and schools, and has helped raise money for the Alzheimer's Association and the Women's Shelter.
He also has a serious green thumb, and even created his own tomato formula prized by backyard gardeners.
The station plans to celebrate Nelson's career on December 29, culminating with his final forecast on KRIS 6 News at 6:00 p.m.
